The Secret of Parker House
by Deliwiel
Summary: When Penny Parker shows up on Mac's doorstep claiming that her new house is haunted, MacGyver is slightly skeptical. However, they soon find that the thing haunting Penny may be more real than she realized, and he may see MacGyver as competition. Rated T for my paranoia's sake
1. Chapter 1

_**Hello friends! Okay, so I've had three or four different people request that I write this retelling, so I figured it would probably be a good idea to get it out here ;) This is a retelling of one of the classic episodes from season four, with Penny Parker. As a retelling, it's obviously going to be different, so there's that disclaimer. Another disclaimer, we've only met Penny once in the reboot series, so I feel like my portrayal of her is kind of more like the original series Penny Parker, so I apologize if you think she seems OOC...**_

 _ **I don't own anything to do with these characters, though I think one day it would be so much fun to write for the show! And I'm not saying that idly; obviously I don't think it will ever happen, but some day, I would honestly and sincerely love to write for a TV show, and I would die if it were MacGyver. Like I said, 99% positive it won't happen, but hey. A girl can dream, right? XD**_

 _ **Anyway, rambling over. Let's get on with the story!**_

The doorbell rang, jerking MacGyver out of his nap. He looked around his settings in confusion; he hadn't even meant to fall asleep, but their latest mission had involved a lot of running, and several tense minutes as he disarmed a bomb that was motion triggered, meaning he had to move very slowly. By the time he finally cut the last wire, the time left on the timer was only four seconds. He, Jack, and Riley had gotten home and immediately parted ways, each one of them needing their own space for a few hours.

Mac had planned to go home and work on a few projects, but when he entered the house, the couch had seemed so inviting, and he figured sitting down for a few minutes wouldn't hurt.

MacGyver checked his watch; he had gotten home five hours ago! As he rubbed the sleep out of his eyes, the doorbell rang again. He got off the couch and made his way to the front door, wondering who could be there. Jack and Riley always just walked in, and Bozer was out of town at some convention the Foundation had sent him to to get more knowledge about lab equipment.

Mac had a fleeting panicked thought that the person at the door might be Matty, coming to give him another case, but he shook his head, dispelling that thought. Matty would have just texted or called. She didn't make house calls very often.

The doorbell rang again. "Sorry, I'm coming," Mac called out as he reached for the handle. He pulled the door open, doing a double take when he saw who was standing on his front porch.

"Penny?" he asked. Penny Parker, MacGyver's first girlfriend, was standing on his front step, biting her lip and wringing her hands like she did when she was nervous.

"Hey Mac," she greeted with a little wave a small smile.

"Penny, what's going on?" Mac asked.

"Uh...can I come in?" she asked, glancing to both sides of her as if she was worried she was being watched or followed.

"Yeah, of course," Mac said, mentally smacking himself for standing there like an idiot instead of inviting her in. "Come on in."

"Thanks," she replied as she stepped over the threshold. "Sorry, did I wake you up?" she asked as she took in his slightly messy hair, as well as the couch where he'd been crashing, which had a blanket on it that MacGyver had no recollection of pulling over himself.

"You're fine," he assured her. "I needed to get up anyway if I want to be able to get any sleep tonight."

"Long day at the office?" she asked sympathetically.

Penny was still blissfully unaware of what MacGyver really did for a living. She still believed that he worked at a government think-tank, which was for her own safety.

MacGyver chuckled. "Yeah, something like that," he agreed.

"Hard deadlines?" she asked. MacGyver's memory flashed back to the ticking bomb, Penny's choice of words making him crack a smile.

"You have no idea," he replied drily. Penny smiled at him, but after a few seconds she continued shuffling awkwardly in the kitchen.

 _Penny Parker is the sweetest girl I've ever known. She's funny, smart, and has a taste for the dramatic flare, but something about her seems off. I can't put my finger on it, but this doesn't seem like Penny's usual style._

"Is something wrong?" MacGyver gently prodded after a few more moments of them standing in slightly uncomfortable silence in the kitchen.

"I need your help," she finally blurted out. As soon as the words left her mouth, she immediately began blushing.

"What's wrong?" Mac asked again when she didn't elaborate.

"I mean, I'm probably just seeing things and blowing everything way out of proportion, and I know you're busy. You're probably gonna think I'm crazy anyway! I don't know why I'm here... I should just leave, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to wake you up, and I'm sure it's nothing-"

"Penny," MacGyver interrupted, grabbing her gently by the shoulders. "Tell me what's going on," he insisted. "I pulled a long shift at work, so I've got a few days off. I want to help you."

She stared at him for another minute, unsure of if she really wanted to tell her friend. She finally closed her eyes and drew in a deep breath before opening her eyes again and pinning Mac with one of the most serious stares he'd ever seen her give.

"I think my house is haunted."

 ** _Now, don't worry. There isn't anything supernatural about this episode at all. *Spoiler alert* XD sorry for those who wanted it to be XD_**

 ** _Anyway, sorry. I know it's short... but what did you guys think?_**


	2. Chapter 2

_**Yay! I'm glad this story has been so generously accepted! Thank you all for the reviews, favorites, and follows! You guys are the best :)**_

"Haunted?" Mac asked skeptically, not sure if he'd heard her correctly.

"I know, it's crazy," Penny defended. "But...I dunno Mac, I'm scared!"

Penny rarely ever admitted that she was anything but happy, so the fact that she was telling MacGyver that she was scared told him that she really did believe that she was being haunted, and he figured he should probably hear her out. "Okay, tell me what happened, from the beginning."

"Well," she began. "You know how my mom had an aunt named Betty? She lives out in Wrightwood, right? Well, she died a few months ago, and in her trust she left me the house. So a little over two weeks ago, I moved out there, got all my stuff unpacked, and everything's been going just fine. The house is a little old and creaky, but I like it. It adds charm to the whole thing," she said with a quick smile. "Or, at least it did, until things started happening."

"Things?" Mac asked with a raised eyebrow. "What kind of things?"

"You know," Penny said with a shrug. "Random, haunty things. The floorboards only squeak when people walk on them, but I woke up one night and I heard the floorboards outside my room creaking. When I jumped out of bed and ran to the door, there was no one in the hallway. And it's not just that. I'll see things out of the corner of my eyes, but when I turn, there's nothing there. It's also little things. Things seem like they've been moved just barely out of place, and I just don't know what to do," she finished, crossing her arms like she did when she was uncomfortable.

"Penny," Mac said once she was finished. "That's not a haunting, but it does sound like someone may be stalking you and getting in your house."

"Oh, is that supposed to make me feel better?" she asked. "Wow, I feel so free now," she said sarcastically. Mac was slightly taken aback; Penny hardly ever used sarcasm unless she was beyond stressed.

"I didn't say that it was better," Mac defended. "I'm just saying that if it was a ghost, the best thing I could do would be tell you to line your furniture and door frames with salt. The fact that it's a real person though, that I can help you with."

"You're gonna help me?" Penny asked, her eyes lighting up, completely forgetting her frustration with her ex-boyfriend.

"Of course I'm going to help," Mac said. "I want to make sure you're safe, and-" Mac was cut off as Penny crashed into him, wrapping her arms tightly around him.

"Thank you," she whispered.

"Of course," he said, slightly shocked. Penny was always more of the touchy-feely one in their relationship, but the way she was clinging to him now was more than she'd almost ever shown. "Just give me a few minutes to grab a few things, then we can go."

 _0-0-0_

MacGyver drove down the highway, following the road as it twisted and curved. They had a little less than forty-five minutes left before they reached Penny's new house, and the ride had been filled with constant chatter. Penny had asked about his life, and then told him all about her life, her acting classes, and how she was so excited about her new dance class. Her theater director, Jaq, was suuuch a nice guy, and he'd given her the lead role in their upcoming production.

"You'll come to that, right?" she asked, breaking off and looking at Mac.

"Uh, yeah, I'd love to," Mac said, slightly taken aback by the conversation turning back to him. "Let me know when it starts and I'll try and make sure I can get work off," he said.

"Thanks, MacGyver," she said with a wide smile. "You're the best!"

MacGyver gave her a sincere smile before turning his eyes back to the road.

"So Penny," he said after a few minutes of uncharacteristic silence. "Can you think of anyone who could be stalking you?" he asked, realizing he sounded like a cop from one of the many crime shows on television. Penny shook her head.

"No," she said with a thoughtful look on her face. "I mean, I go out a lot, to a lot of places, so it could really be anyone, I guess," she explained. Mac silently agreed. Penny was extremely social, and her circle of friends widened every time he saw her.

"No one in particular sticks out?"

"I mean, Jaq and I have gone on a couple of dates, but he's always been a complete gentleman," she replied.

"Anyone in any of your dance or theater classes?" Mac pried, knowing there had to be _someone_ whom she thought might be behind it. "Anyone you've met that makes you feel uncomfortable when they're around?"

Penny thought for a moment. "You know, there is this one guy," she finally said slowly. "He's not actually in any of my classes, but he does come and hang out in a lot of our groups when we hang out," she explained. "He just kinda stares at me all the time, and I know that sounds conceited, he could be a really nice guy and just wanting to talk, or maybe he's not even staring at me. Maybe he's not even staring, he could be-"

"Penny," Mac interrupted. "Focus," he reminded her with a small smile. "Usually a gut instinct is pretty spot on. I always trust my gut when I'm out...trying the new things the think-tank comes up with," he said, barely catching himself before saying "out in the field."

"Okay," she said, taking in a breath. "So his name is Corey, and like I said, I don't really know him. He just hangs out with me and my group of friends."

"Does Corey have a last name?" Mac asked, sparing a second to glance at his friend before he turned his eyes back to the road.

"Um...Jackson? I think?" she replied. Mac made a mental note to have Riley run a check on Corey Jackson when he got off the road.

"Okay, we'll make sure to check him out," Mac said. "What about Jaq? Could he be your ghost?"

Penny shrugged. "I dunno. Like I said earlier, we've been on a few dates but he's always been completely upfront with me about how he feels," she assured her friend.

MacGyver wasn't ready to drop Jaq as a suspect completely, but Penny's assurance was pretty convincing, and he let the subject go for the moment.

"Are you sure you don't want to go stay in a hotel room for the night?" Mac asked. He glanced over as he saw Penny shake her head.

"No, I don't," she stated firmly. "I am not going to let this...whoever he is scare me out of my own house. Besides, if he _is_ a stalker, he's gonna follow me wherever I go, right? I'd rather stay somewhere I'm familiar with," she finished. Mac kind of wanted to insist that she go to a hotel while he waited at the house, but she actually had a good point. If she did have a stalker, he'd see that she went to a hotel, and would follow her there. Mac let the matter drop.

"Thanks again for coming, Mac," Penny said quietly after a few minutes of chatter. Mac looked over at her with raised eyebrows.

"Of course," he said. "Why wouldn't I come? You're my friend, and you've always been there for me. It's what friends do," he replied. Penny smiled at him, and MacGyver could practically see some of the stress leaving her body.

Twenty minutes later, as the sun was just beginning to set, MacGyver pulled his jeep up to the front of Penny's new house, and they both got out of the vehicle. Penny reached into her pocket and grabbed her keys as they walked up the walk, unlocking the front door and showing MacGyver inside.

"So this is Aunt Betty's house," she said, gesturing with her hand in a general motion. "Your room is down that hall at the very end on the right; the bathroom is just across the hall. Also, the kitchen is that way. I haven't really had time to go grocery shopping since I moved in, so I've been living on ramen and macaroni and cereal," she added. "Sorry…"

MacGyver laughed, shaking his head. "Nothing to be sorry about," he said. "I feel a little bit like we're back in college though," he admitted. "C'mon, we're gonna go get some groceries."

"What are you, my dad?" Penny asked with a laugh, no anger in her voice at all.

"Not your dad, just a friend who's concerned about your sodium intake," he replied with a wink. He deposited his bags in the room he'd be staying in, taking a minute to look around. He had a strange feeling that someone was watching him, and even though he knew he was probably just being paranoid, he looked out the window just in case.

"MacGyver, ya comin'?" Penny called out from down the hallway, making Mac jump slightly. He shook his head, slightly disappointed in himself for being so spooked.

"I'm coming," he called back. As he walked towards the living room, he looked at the pictures on the wall. They showed Penny's mom and Aunt Betty, with a little girl in between them that Mac could only assume was Penny.

Penny's dad had died when she was less than a year old, and she and her mom were really close. Mac remembered hearing about Aunt Betty when he and Penny had been dating. She was a nice, older lady who mostly kept to herself, though she loved her family.

Mac walked into the living room and saw Penny waiting by the door. He gestured behind him. "Is that you in those pictures?"

"Yeah," Penny said with a wide grin. "Mom and I used to come up here every few weeks to help Betty with the upkeep of the house and yard, and most of those pictures were taken after we'd get done. Mom used to call them 'tracking my growth,' though I think she was mostly trying to teach Betty how to use a camera," she added with a laugh.

MacGyver chuckled and listened to Penny talk about her family, and what they used to do when they came up here as the two of them climbed in the jeep. Mac started the jeep and put it into drive, asking Penny for directions to the nearest grocery store. They were so focused on their conversation that neither of them noticed the shadowy figure watching them from behind one of the trees across the street.

 _ **Dun dun dun... any guesses as to who the stalker is?**_

 _ **So what did you guys think of chapter 2? Did I just completely ruin the story with this second chapter? ;) Lemme know what you guys think!**_


	3. Chapter 3

_**Hello all! I'm glad you're liking the story so far! :D Thank you all so much for the follows, favorites, and reviews. They mean so much to me :)**_

 _ **Longer AN at the bottom :)**_

"Okay, here are some blankets and pillows," Penny said as she came out of the bathroom where she kept all the bedding. MacGyver was in the kitchen; they had put all the groceries away and Mac was currently making dinner. Both of them had changed out of their day-clothes as well. Penny had gotten into a pair of sweats and a t-shirt, while Mac had changed to gym shorts and a drawstring hoodie.

"Mmm, Mac, that smells delicious!" Penny gushed as she put the small stack of blankets and pillows on the couch.

"Well, it's nothing to compare to Bozer's cooking, but you're right," Mac said with a grin. "It does smell pretty good."

 _Bozer is definitely the master chef out of our group of friends, but I can make a killer bowl of spaghetti._

"Anyway, here are these," Penny said again, patting the blankets and such. "Do you want me to go put them on your bed?"

"I think I'd actually feel more comfortable if I slept out here on the couch," Mac admitted as he stirred the noodles.

"Oh, I'm sorry!" Penny said, looking upset. "I should have realized those mattresses would be old and uncomfortable. Don't worry, my mattress is brand-new! You can sleep on it, and I'll sleep in your bed," she said.

"Woah, Penny," Mac said, holding up his hands to stop the woman from moving his things. "The bed is fine, I'm sure," he assured her. "When I said I'd be more comfortable, I meant that way I would be out in the open, able to get places faster if I needed to. That's it, I promise. Please, I'm not going to take your bed," he said, giving her an exasperated smile.

 _That's Penny though. Always looking out for others around her. She always wants to take care of others before she takes care of herself. Maybe that's why we got along so well; we both have that quality and we both took care of each other, meaning each of us were getting the care we needed, but also getting the fulfillment that came with taking care of someone else._

"I promise," Mac said again. "I will be just fine out here on the couch. If something does happen, or you do hear something, I want to be able to get to it more quickly than if I were in the bedroom," he explained.

"Okay," Penny said slowly after a moment of studying the blond. "If you're positive."

"Only fools are positive," Mac replied snarkily. Penny smirked.

"Are you sure?"

Mac recognized the quote and decided to go along with it. "I'm positive."

Penny giggled, and that seemed to settle the matter of who was sleeping where.

"Anyway," Mac said as he took the pot of noodles off the stovetop. "I think dinner's done."

 _0-0-0_

"Thank you again for dinner, Mac," Penny said as she sat back in her chair, a happy smile drifting over her face.

"No problem," the blond replied as he twirled some more spaghetti on his fork. "It didn't turn out too bad, did it?"

"Not bad at all," Penny assured him. "I'll start the dishes," she said after a few minutes as she got up.

"Don't be silly," MacGyver said, grabbing her arm to stop her. "It's late, and you've had a long, slightly stressful day. Go to bed; I've got cleanup covered."

"I don't wanna make you cook dinner _and_ do the dishes," Penny insisted.

"You're not making me," Mac countered. "I'm offering. No, I'm _telling_ you that I'm doing both," he rephrased gently, but firmly.

"But-"

"Penny," Mac interrupted. "Let me do this?"

The young woman stared at Mac for a moment before she finally nodded her head. "Okay," she said. "You win. I _am_ pretty tired," she admitted with a yawn.

"Get to bed," Mac said as he began clearing the table. "I'll let you know if anything happens," he promised.

"Thanks MacGyver," Penny said as she turned to head towards the stairs. "You're a good friend."

"What else are friends for?" he replied with a shrug and a grin. She smiled one last time at him before she disappeared up the stairs.

MacGyver put the dishes in a sink and filled the sink up with hot, soapy water to let the dishes soak. Penny's aunt didn't have a dishwasher, and that was something Penny hadn't gotten yet. While Mac was waiting for the dishes to soak, he got a rag and began to wipe down the stove, counters, and table.

When he finally finished the dishes, the kitchen was sparkling. He felt a small sense of pride as he stared at his cleaning work, and he could hear Jack teasing him about how he should hang up his spy gear and go into the maid business.

He set the rag down in the sink and went to sit on the couch, reclining and closing his eyes, but he didn't get to rest for long. He heard something in the hallway, and his senses went on high-alert. His eyes popped open and he swung his feet off the couch, placing them quietly on the carpeted floor. He stood up and snuck towards the entrance of the hallway, straining his eyes to see anything through the darkness.

As he looked around, he spotted movement close to the staircase, and when he focused, he saw a figure creeping up the stairs.

"Hey!" Mac called out, flipping on the lightswitch and turning on the main light. A man with a beard froze in place, eyes darting over to MacGyver. Mac knew what was going to happen seconds before the man started running.

The bearded man bolted down the stairs and tried to run for the back door, but MacGyver had anticipated that move, and he intercepted the man as he was getting off the stairs. Mac threw himself into the fleeing man, throwing them both to the ground.

The man bucked and struggled under MacGyver, but Mac stayed on. "Who are you?" he asked. The man didn't answer, but Mac heard something from above.

"MacGyver?" Penny asked as she came out. When she saw what was going on at the bottom of the staircase, she gasped. "Corey!" she said, confirming Mac's suspicions that that was who the intruder was.

"Penny, call 911," Mac instructed as he wrestled Corey to his feet. Penny nodded and ran to her room to grab her cell phone, but as she turned her back, Mac heard something else. He started to turn around, but he was blindsided and thrown off his feet. He grunted as he was slammed into the wall, knocking his head soundly against the structure.

"MacGyver?!" he heard Penny call as she came back to investigate the noise. Mac shook his head, trying to clear out the cobwebs. He heard a buzzing noise and looked towards Corey, who was now lying on the ground, twitching. Mac saw two prongs sticking out of the man's chest.

" _Taser gun,"_ Mac thought to himself as he fought his way to his feet.

" _Jaq?!"_ he heard Penny say in astonishment. Mac recognized the name and realized it was the name of guy Penny said had taken her out a few times. Before he could turn around and see anything though, something was wrapped around Mac's neck from behind and tightened. Mac grunted and reached up, trying to get his fingers underneath whatever the noose around his neck was.

When that didn't work, Mac switched tactics and jerked his elbow back, connecting with Jaq's ribs and causing the man to grunt in pain. The grip around the blond's neck lessened, and Mac was able to get his fingers underneath and rip it over his head.

He turned to face his attacker and swung his fist, connecting solidly with the man's cheekbone, snapping his head to the side and spraying a bit of blood everywhere. "Penny!" Mac yelled as he fought with the second intruder. "Run! Call Jack!"

That was all the young agent was able to yell though, because he had to turn his full attention back to the matter at hand; namely, focusing on not getting hit in the face. Or at all, preferably. He ducked a punch aimed at his head and blocked another knee-jerk to his ribs, but while Mac was blocking the last attack, Jaq reached up on the wall and grabbed a framed picture.

He smashed it over Mac's head, dazing the agent and sending him to the ground. Mac vaguely heard Penny yelling and screaming, but he was unable to focus on that. Jaq straddled his chest and wrapped his hands around Mac's neck before the blond agent was able to recover enough to struggle. He began choking and gasping, needing more oxygen. His face felt like it was starting to swell up, and the pressure behind his eyes was building.

His hands scrabbled at the vice-like grip on his neck, but the blow to the head was really impairing his ability to do much of anything.

"Jaq, stop!" he heard Penny pleading. The voice sounded close, and Mac looked around quickly, seeing that Penny had descended the stairs and was coming towards them.

"Pe...nny," Mac choked out. "Run!"

The grip around Mac's neck tightened, and his eyes began rolling in the back of his head, the blackness creeping in around the edge of his vision.

"Jaq!"

After the yell, the grip on Mac's neck was suddenly loosened, and the agent coughed, drawing in huge gulps of air. There were spots dancing in front of Mac's eyes, and everything was swimming in and out of focus. He struggled to get up, but Jaq was still on his chest, and he was quite a bit bulkier than MacGyver was, meaning the agent stayed where he was.

The blood was pounding in Mac's ears, so he actually couldn't hear what was being said, but he saw Jaq staring at Penny, who was speaking and frantically waving her hands. Then, without warning, Jaq turned back to MacGyver and brought his fist crashing down on the agent's face, and all Mac saw after that was black.

 _ **Hmmm...BOTH of them? I dunno. Was it too much? Not believable? I figured Mac had to be distracted with something in order to be taken down by Jaq... *shrugs* Whatcha guys think?**_

 _ **Okay so I saw Spiderman: Homecoming for the fourth time last night, and then I rewatched Iron Man 1 a few nights ago, and I just really wanted to start writing a story for Spiderman and Iron Man, so that has now also been added to the list of things I'm working on, so if you're interested, keep an eye out for that! Or don't, I can't tell you what to do XD**_

 _ **Anyway. Lemme know what you guys thought? :D**_


	4. Chapter 4

_**Woooo! Chapter four! Wonder what happened to MacGyver? ;)**_

 ** _Don't own anything to do with the show._**

"Mac?" Jack called as he opened the door to the house, gun drawn. He had received Penny's distressed call, and he heard her say something about a house she had inherited, but before he could get any other information out of her, he heard her yell Mac's name, and the call was dropped. Jack had immediately called Riley and had her trace Mac's phone to a small house in Wrightwood, CA. Once they knew where he was, Matty had given him permission to use one of the choppers, and they had made the trip in thirty minutes.

"Mac!" Jack yelled again. He moved cautiously down the hallway, but paused as he saw something on the floor. A splintered picture frame with shattered glass was littering the floor by the wall, but no one was around.

There was a room at the end of the hallway with the door closed, and Jack made his way towards it, moving as quickly as he could with safety. When he reached the door, he gently tested the handle, finding it locked. Jack took a deep breath as he took a step back, then he lifted his foot and rammed it into the door, just underneath the handle. The door buckled and fell in, and Jack charged into the room with his gun out in front of him.

"Mac?" Jack asked as he crept around the bedroom, seeing no sign of his young friend. He crept towards the large closet door on the wall, reaching out and grabbing the handle. He pulled it open, and his heart leapt in his throat when he saw MacGyver, along with another man, tied up with duct tape on the floor, both of them unconscious.

Jack did another quick look around the room; he heard the rest of the men who had come with him begin fanning out to search the house, and he figured it was safe to holster his weapon; he had cleared the room he was in, and backup was now inside. He stuck his gun back in his holster and knelt down next to the blond. Mac's forehead and cheek had large bruises on them, and Jack felt his anger begin to rise when he saw the angry red marks on his partner's neck, indicating someone had tried to strangle the kid, with their bare hands by the looks of the marks.

"Mac?" Jack said quietly at first, then slightly louder when he got no response. The blond groaned and shifted his head slightly, but his eyes remained closed. "C'mon bud," Jack said, lightly slapping the kid's cheeks. Finally MacGyver's eyes opened, and he looked around in confusion. "Welcome back, kid," Jack said as he reached down and pulled the tape off Mac's mouth.

"Jack?" Mac croaked in confusion. He distantly remembered him calling to Penny to call Jack, but he hadn't been sure if she had actually been able to do it. It would seem like she had. "Penny!" Mac suddenly remembered, sitting up quickly.

"Careful," Jack said, putting his hand on Mac's shoulder. "She's not here," he said in a serious tone. "What happened?"

"Um...she came to my house wanting help with someone who was stalking her," Mac said, squinting his eyes as his head pounded with the rhythm of his heart. Jack pulled out his knife from a spot on his belt and sliced through the tape around Mac's hands. "Thanks," Mac said. Jack held out his hand, which Mac accepted, and the older agent hauled the younger man to his feet, holding his hands out to the side as Mac swayed slightly. "I'm fine," Mac said, trying to wave Jack's mother-hen mode away.

Jack stared at him skeptically, but realized he should probably figure out who the other occupant of the closet was. "And our friend here, was he the stalker?" he asked.

"Uh, he was one of them," Mac confirmed.

"Wait, one of them?"

"Well, we thought there was only one," Mac explained. "We weren't expecting two people to be sneaking around Penny's house," he defended. "I took this guy down, but then the second guy showed up and complicated things."

"Do you know who the second guy was?" Jack asked.

"His name is Jaq," Mac replied, rubbing his head and clearing his throat. "He's Penny's theater director," he added.

"Got it," Jack said. "I'll call Riley and have her get anything she can on him. Did you happen to catch his last name?" he asked as he pulled out his phone and hit Riley's contact info.

"Didn't catch one," Mac admitted. "How many Jaqs can there be in a small town though?"

 _0-0-0_

"'Kay, thanks Ri," Jack said before he hung up the phone. He walked over to MacGyver, who had been led to the couch and instructed to sit there and not do anything. Of course, Mac wasn't following those orders completely; he had found a wire on the floor and was currently fiddling with it, molding it into what looked like a mask shape. "Hey," Jack said as he stood in front of MacGyver. "Just got off the phone with Riley, and she was able to find Jaq. She got his address and we sent a police squad over there, but when they got there, no one was home."

"You didn't tell me that!" Mac said incredulously.

"Because I knew you'd want to go when we find her, and I had a hunch that Jaq wasn't going to take Penny to his primary residence, y'know?" Jack said, rolling his eyes at his partner. "Why get you all excited and potentially further injure your noggin over nothing?"

MacGyver stared at Jack, but didn't argue; the older man had a good point. Not that Mac was ever going to tell Jack that.

"I'm having her go through and find anywhere else that Jaq might have access to," Jack said.

"What about the theater?" MacGyver asked suddenly.

"The what?"

"The theater," Mac repeated. "Jaq is the director in the play Penny is in," he explained again.

"Wouldn't that be an obvious hiding place though?" Jack asked skeptically.

"More obvious that Jaq's house?" Mac shot back. "Besides, what harm could it do?"

"For you right now, probably a lot," Jack argued.

"Jack, I'm fine," Mac insisted. "Look, I know my body's limits," he reasoned. "If I start to feel like I have to sit out, I will. But I'm not going to sit here and do nothing while Penny's out there and there's something I could be doing," he said, his voice leaving no room for argument.

"Mac, you know this isn't your fault, right?" Jack asked. "You did everything you could to keep her safe. No one is blaming you. Penny could have taken the opportunity to run while Jaq was choking you, but she didn't. She's the one who convinced him to let you go it sounds like."

"I know, I know," Mac said, though he didn't sound completely convinced. "I just...I can't sit around feeling like I'm doing nothing," he said. "I'm going to the theater. You're welcome to come with me," he offered as he stood up. "You coming?"

Jack shook his head in amazement, chuckling half out of frustration, half out of being impressed. "Yeah I'm coming," he said. "But I'm driving," he added as the two of them walked out to the car. Jack pulled out his phone again and called Riley as he slid into the driver's seat.

"Hey Riley, 'nother favor to ask," he said. "You're on speaker, B-T-Dubs," he said, putting the phone on speaker and setting it on the dash.

"First of all, don't ever say that again," Riley said, sounding almost disgusted. "What's up?"

"We need you to find the address of the theater Penny practices at," Mac said.

"Okay, gimme a minute. There shouldn't be that many theaters in Wrightwood," she said, muttering to herself as she typed away on her keyboard. "Got it," she said after less than two minutes. "But I dunno if it's gonna be worth the gas to get there," she added.

"Why, what do you mean?" Jack asked.

"I pulled up some camera feeds from the building across the street, and there hasn't been anyone going in or out of the building," the hacker explained.

"So now where do we go?" Jack griped.

"I found a house owned by an LLC, so it's not technically under his name, which is why it took me a minute to find it," Riley explained. "I was actually about to call you and tell you when you called me, so I figured you'd found something," she added.

"Send us the address to the other house?" MacGyver requested. Jack's phone beeped, indicating an incoming message, and Mac opened up the directions on the map app. "Can you look up-"

"Already pulling up any camera feeds I can find from around there," Riley confirmed.

"You're great, Ri," Jack complimented.

"I know," Riley agreed, sounding slightly smug. "I can't find any cameras around the house with a good enough angle to let me get a clear view of the house," she informed them after a minute.

"Okay, maybe not so great," Jack quipped.

"Hey!" Riley said indignantly.

"Kidding!" Jack insisted. "Just kidding! Anyway, it doesn't matter. We'll go, scope out the house, see if anyone is there. Keep trying to get anything you can on the house though," he instructed.

"Will do," Riley replied. With that, the phone call was disconnected, and Jack followed the directions the phone gave him to get to the house of Jaq.

 _ **So? Thoughts? What do you guys think is going to happen?**_

 _ **Lemme know what you guys think!**_


	5. Chapter 5

_**Hey guys! So this is the longest chapter in the story, and then after this, I think there's only one more, so :( Kinda sad...**_

 _ **Also, thanks for everyone who went and read and/or reviewed my Spider-Man story!**_

 _ **I don't own these characters sadly :(**_

"I mean, it doesn't look like a house of horrors," Jack said as they parked a little ways down the street from the house Riley had found. "And it's in a nice neighborhood," he added, looking around at the duplexes. "It basically looks like it belongs in a snowglobe," he stated.

"Looks can be deceiving," Mac said grimly, pointing as the door opened and a man walked out. The man walked over to the mailbox and grabbed the mail, then turned and walked back into the house.

"Is that him?" Jack asked.

"I think so," Mac confirmed.

"Think?" Jack asked, sounding slightly concerned. "Buddy, if we go in there all _Die Hard_ style, and it's the wrong house, we're in for a world of crap."

"First, we're not going to go in _Die Hard_ style," Mac said, quashing Jack's hopes and dreams. "People could get hurt that way. Second, I was being choked by the man after having my head dashed in; forgive me if my memory is a little foggy. Third, I wasn't going to go in there blind," he added.

"What's the plan then?" Jack asked as MacGyver unbuckled his seatbelt and moved to the back of the vehicle. The blond didn't answer, but soon came back with the megaphone that was kept in the back of each Phoenix vehicle. "Sorry to burst your bubble dude, but if we go out there with a megaphone and demand that they come out, that's just going to put Penny in danger," Jack pointed out.

"No duh," Mac replied drily. "That's why it's not staying as a megaphone," he continued. Jack watched in fascination as Mac disassembled the speaker device, pulling apart the cone and grabbing the circuit board.

The blond pulled out his knife and opened the screwdriver section, quickly unscrewing the microphone portion of the megaphone. He switched a few wires around and pulled what looked like a small bugging device out of the handheld device and screwed the back of the speaker back on.

The next thing Mac did was grab the circuit board attached to the battery pack, and he unplugged three wires connected to the circuit board.

He unscrewed a few more things and removed the speaker from the rest of the megaphone before he took a cone-shaped device out of the speaker. Once he'd done that, he stuck the small device he'd pulled from the microphone into a small hole in the voice amplifier.

Jack's head began hurting slightly as he watched his partner work. Mac was switching wires and connecting different things to different parts of the megaphone, and while Jack wanted to as what was going on, he knew that if his partner tried explaining, it would probably only make his head hurt worse.

"Done," Mac said a few minutes later, holding up the reassembled megaphone.

"It still looks the same," Jack pointed out.

"That's because everything that changed was on the inside," Mac replied somewhat distractedly. He rolled the window down and stuck the megaphone out of the window, keeping the microphone inside. Once he had pointed it at the house, Mac pressed a button on the microphone, and suddenly, a voice began crackling over the radio-looking device.

"-Told you how I felt all along," the voice said. "I thought that maybe you would eventually feel the same way if I kept doing what I was doing!"

"Jaq," another voice chimed in. Mac recognized Penny's voice, and he and Jack looked at each other. "You've been an amazing friend and a perfect gentleman, but I just don't feel that way about you!"

"So who is it then?" Jaq asked harshly. "It's that other guy, isn't it? The one in your house. I shoulda finished him when I had the chance," he muttered, almost too low for Mac to hear.

"If you had killed him, I can promise you that you would never have a chance with me," Penny stated vehemently.

"So you're saying I have a chance still?" There was hope in Jaq's voice as he asked the question.

"I mean, maybe," Penny said. "But I'd have to do it on my own terms. You'd have to let me go," she insisted. There was silence for a moment, and Mac almost wondered if Jaq was crazy enough to fall for it. His hopes were dashed as Jaq answered though.

"No. You're just playing me. If I let you go, you're going to go to the cops and have me arrested."

"Jaq, you have to let me go!" Penny said.

"I have to leave for a little bit," Jaq said, his voice having turned ice-cold. "This is just so you can't get out and go anywhere."

"No, Jaq, please!" Penny plead.

"In time you'll come to love me," Jaq assured her. "We just need to give it time, and you need to see the type of guy I actually am."

Over the speaker, Mac and Jack heard what sounded like footsteps, and then a few moments later, the front door was opened and Jaq walked out. When he shut the door behind himself, he turned and inserted a key into a lock on the door, then turned and strode towards the car parked in front of the house.

Mac and Jack slouched down in their seats as Jaq came outside. They knew they were far enough away that he probably couldn't see them, but neither of them wanted to risk Mac being recognized. They waited until Jaq drove off before the two of them opened their car doors and hurried towards the house.

Mac hurried up to the front door, intending to pick the lock, but he smacked himself lightly in the forehead.

"Dude!" Jack exclaimed. "Are you trying to hurt yourself worse?"

"It wasn't hard," Mac defended. "And I deserved it," he added, gesturing to the door. "It's a bolt lock," he explained when Jack gave him a questioning look.

"And you can't pick a bolt lock?" Jack asked, raising his eyebrows in surprise.

"Usually I can," Mac replied. "But that's when I have the right tools. I left my lock-picking kit back in LA."

"Whaddija do that for?" Jack asked, holding his hands out in exasperation.

"Well, I didn't think I was going to need to be breaking into a house to rescue my ex-girlfriend," Mac shot back snarkily.

"Well, can't you just use a bobby pin or something?"

Mac raised his eyebrows at Jack. "Do you carry bobby pins around with you wherever you go?"

He took Jack's silence as a negative answer, and he nodded. "Didn't think so. Anyways, bobby pins are usually too weak to pick a bolt lock," the blond added.

"So what are you gonna do?" Jack asked, deciding to drop the lock-picking topic. Mac looked around, trying to decide what the best course of action to take would be. He spotted an open window, and he realized he should be able to climb through. That was, if he could get up to it; the window was on the second floor, and it was at least a good ten-to-fifteen feet off the ground.

Jack followed his partner's gaze up to the window, and his jaw dropped. "You can't be serious," he said.

"You see those?" MacGyver asked, pointing at different devices hanging around the roof. "Those are security cameras, and there's a security lock on the door. He's got a security system, meaning that even if we were able to get any of the doors or windows open, we'd need to find and disable the security system before a minute passes, otherwise the police are called," he explained. "But since that window is already open, it won't trigger the alarm when I go through."

"Yes, thank you, I know how security systems work," Jack quipped. "I just can't believe you're thinking of climbing up there. Why not let me do it?"

"I need someone on the ground watching my back," Mac reasoned. "Besides, I think if I can find the box for the security system, I should be able to find a way to turn it off, and then we can just walk out the front door."

"Dude," Jack began, hesitation clear in his voice. Mac held up his hand, stopping Jack from continuing.

"If I'm not out in five minutes, feel free to climb up after me," Mac granted.

"How're you gonna get up there anyway?" Jack asked after a minute of considering his friend's offer.

Mac looked around the lawn for a moment before walking over and grabbing a long rubber garden hose lying on the lawn.

"Okay," Jack said. "You've got a way to get up, but how are you gonna make it stick up there?"

Mac was already on his way to answering the question before it was completely out of Jack's mouth. There were several gardening tools on the lawn, and Mac grabbed what looked like a small rake, picking it up and weighing it in his hands. After a few seconds, he tied the hose around the neck of the tool and tightened the knot, making sure that it was secure.

"Did you just make a grappling hook out of garden tools?" Jack asked.

"Seriously Jack, I don't know why you ask anymore," Mac replied with a smirk.

"Yeah, I don't either," Jack agreed, rolling his eyes.

MacGyver took in a deep breath as he stared up at the window. "Here goes," he muttered before he vaulted the hose in the air. It made it into the window on the first attempt, but it didn't catch on anything and it just slid right out. He caught it as it fell back down and tried again. It took him four different tries before the hose finally caught on something inside the room, and Mac was relieved when he tugged on the hose and it didn't budge.

"Okay," he said as he turned to Jack. "Give me five minutes, then follow me up if you don't hear from me," he instructed. "Just keep an eyes out for Jaq to come back."

"Hey, hey, hey," Jack said as Mac braced himself against the wall, preparing to climb. "What if he comes back and you're not out yet?"

Mac looked at him. "Improvise," he said simply with a grin. Without waiting for Jack to say anything else, he began climbing up the side of the house, making sure he didn't look down. About halfway up, the hose slipped slightly, and Mac's heart began pounding. He could hear Jack down below him saying something, but he tuned his partner out, not needing that distraction. He carefully tested his weight against the hose, making sure it was still secure enough to hold his weight, and when he decided it was, he continued his climb.

It wasn't that high off the ground, but for MacGyver, the climb felt like it took forever before he was finally able to grasp the windowsill. He hoisted himself up through the window, glad to know he didn't have to trust his weight to the rubber hose anymore, and he took a second to take a deep breath. He set his feet down on the floor, seeing that the garden tool had hooked onto the leg of a sturdy-looking desk.

Mac looked outside and nodded at Jack, who was staring up at him, a concerned look on his face. Mac held up his fingers, signifying Jack's five-minute wait had begun, then the blond turned and walked out of the room, staying as quiet as he could. They'd seen Jaq leave, and even though they hadn't heard anyone else through the reverse-megaphone, Mac didn't want to take the chance that Jaq might have an accomplice.

There were two bedrooms upstairs, both unlocked and both unoccupied. He quickly went downstairs, noting that the security box was right next to the front door. Mac could see Jack's figure through the frosted glass as the older man stood guard, making sure that Jaq didn't come back and catch them unawares.

"Mac?" he heard someone whisper. He whirled around and his heart lifted as he saw Penny sitting in the kitchen, handcuffed to both the chair she was sitting in, as well as to the leg of the heavy oak table the chair was next to.

"Penny," he said, visibly relieved. "Is there anyone else here?" he asked. Penny shook her head.

"No, it was just me and Jaq, but then he left to run a quick errand. Oh my gosh Mac, I didn't think that you'd be able to find me! I was worried Jaq had accidentally killed you! Wait...how'd you get in?" she asked, as if realizing for the first time the blond hadn't come through the front door like a normal human being. "I heard the front door lock, and no one came in," she stated.

"Yeah, there was an open window on the second floor," Mac explained as he hurried over to her, crouching down. He looked at the cuffs, then up at her. "You wouldn't happen to have any bobby pins in your hair, would you?"

"Yeah, I do," she confirmed. Mac quickly glanced in her hair and saw one of the metal pins. He gently pulled it out of her hair and bent it, forever ruining the pin.

"Sorry," he said as he bent the pin.

"It's fine, I've got like, a million others at home," she assured him. "But Mac," Penny asked quietly as the blond bent down and began picking the locks to her handcuffs. "How _did_ you find me?"

"Got a good computer person at work," Mac said vaguely.

"What does that mean?" Penny asked, tilting her head in confusion.

"I'll explain later," Mac said, knowing that his five minutes before Jack came in were almost up. "Right now we have to get out of here," he said as the last handcuff clicked open. Penny stood up and rubbed her wrists, and MacGyver straightened up as well before he walked over to the security system. He removed the front panel, exposing the wires behind, and he was just about to cut the right wires, but a noise outside stopped him in his tracks.

They both heard tires pulling up in front of the house, and MacGyver peered out the front window. He could see Jack glancing at the house, then start to walk over to the car.

"Back, get back," Mac hissed, motioning for Penny to scoot backwards. The two of them backed quietly into the living room, and Mac heard Jack begin to speak.

"Hey!" the older man called out. "Are you the owner of the house?"

Jaq's reply was muffled, and Mac couldn't make out what he said, but he heard Jack continue speaking.

"I'm just goin' around and seeing if people are interested in looking at bathroom tile. I've got some great products here, at an even better price!"

Jaq had apparently gotten closer to the door, because Mac and Penny were able to hear him a little better, but Mac froze when he saw that he had left the panel dangling from the box, exposing the wires. He moved forward, intent on putting it back, but Penny grabbed him and pulled him back right as the front door was unlocked and then opened.

"Listen, I don't really have any interest in bathroom tile right now, I just came back to get my wallet that I left here…" Jaq trailed off as he turned and saw the dismantled security system, and he turned back to Jack, his hand going to his side. Jack, however, had beaten him to the draw.

"Hey Jaq," Jack said as he levelled the gun at the theater director. Jaq's eyes widened. "Mac, you can come on out now," Jack called out. MacGyver held Penny's arm protectively as the two of them stepped out from behind the living room wall. Jaq's eyes went from wide and shocked to narrow and angry as he saw the two of them standing side-by-side.

The stalker took a step towards the two of them, but the click of Jack's gun cocking stopped him. "I wouldn't do that if I were you," Jack cautioned. Jaq slowly raised his hands up, indicating his cooperation. "Mac, wanna call Riley? Have her send the cops out here to pick him up?" Jack asked.

Mac pulled out his phone as Jack ushered Jaq inside, shutting the door behind them. "Riley," Mac said as the hacker picked up.

"Mac, is everything okay?" Riley asked.

"Yeah, I think everything's fine now," Mac assured her. "Hey, we got Jaq and Penny," he informed her.

"I'll get the cops over to your location now," she promised.

"Thanks Riley," Mac said.

"Just sit tight. They should be there in five minutes or less," Riley said. "Once I call them, that is," she added. "Dude kinda lives out in the boondocks, so it'll take them at least five minutes once I call. I'll talk to you soon," Riley said. She hung up the phone and Mac put the device back in his pocket.

"We good?" Jack asked as he and Jaq entered the kitchen.

"Yeah, we're good," Mac replied with a tired smile. He wrapped one arm around Penny's shoulder, pulling her into a comforting embrace. He could feel her shaking, and he knew that she was going into shock. The adrenaline was keeping her going for now, but he knew sooner rather than later, that was going to drop and Penny would be an absolute mess. He needed to get her home.

Jack took a quick second to glance back at his partner and the young woman they had just rescued, and in that split-second, Jaq lunged across the counter and grabbed a sharp knife from a cutting block on the counter, turning around and slicing Jack's hand holding the gun. The older man dropped the piece with a curse as he grabbed at his bloody hand, the pain shocking him enough that Jaq was able to place a well aimed kick to the Jack's groin, sending the agent to the ground with a groan.

"Not...fair," Jack grunted out as he tried to stand.

Without paying Jack any more attention, Jaq turned for Mac and Penny, swinging the knife wildly. By pure chance, he caught Mac's arm, giving the blond a nice, deep cut on his upper bicep. Mac grunted in pain as he grabbed his arm, already feeling the blood dripping through his fingers. The blond looked up at the knife-wielding theater director, glaring at him while trying to staunch the flow of blood.

Mac had instinctively pushed Penny behind him when he saw Jaq moving towards them, so thankfully she had avoided getting cut.

"Jaq," Mac cautioned, putting himself in front of Penny further as the theater director advanced. "Think about this, think about what you're doing," he implored.

"I know what I'm doing," Jaq said with a grim smile. "Two men broke into my house while my girlfriend and I were talking, and I had to act in self-defense," he explained as he waved the dagger at them and kicked Jack's gun across the kitchen. "Tragically, my girlfriend was shot when she tried to grab the gun from the man holding her."

"Jaq, please," Penny said, trying to reason with the man.

"Sorry Penny," Jaq said with a shrug. "I tried to get you to be with me, but this is the way it has to be now," he said.

"It doesn't have to be this way, you dingwad," Jack spat. "You're just choosing for it to be this way because you don't want to go to prison. Actually, if we're being honest, I don't think you have it in you," Jack admitted. "Killing three people? What's the worst thing you've ever done before today? Not paid a parking ticket?"

"Never gotten in any sort of trouble with the law," Jaq said proudly. "Which is why they'll believe my story."

"You're expecting to go from zero to one-hundred in one go?" Jack asked dubiously. "That's a bit of a stretch to believe," he pointed out.

"Guess you'll never be around to find out if it worked or not," Jaq said with a shrug. Mac was shocked and slightly worried by how calm and collected Jaq seemed about the whole situation.

"We've got friends who know where we were going," Mac tried stalling, trying to give the police a few more moments to get closer.

"And?" Jaq asked. "You broke into _my_ house. Who are they going to believe? The victim, or the friend of the people who broke into my house?"

MacGyver knew the man had a point, though he wasn't planning on giving up that easy.

"Go on," Jaq said, motioning at MacGyver with the knife towards Jack. "Go to your friend."

MacGyver slowly began moving, trying to find the best vantage point to take Jaq down from, but as he got closer to the maniac, they heard sirens, and they were getting closer and closer. Mac instinctively flinched towards the front door. While the blond was distracted, Jaq raised the hand with the knife, preparing to bring it slashing down on Mac's body.

"Mac, look out!" Jack yelled. Mac put up his hands to try and ward off the attack, but before he could, Penny yelled, and he saw her leg flying in the air. Her foot connected solidly with Jaq's foot, and the knife went flying. Jack had to duck out of the way of the flying knife, but as soon as he was out of danger, he tackled Jaq to the ground, crashing into the man's middle and sending them both to the ground.

As the theater director struggled under Jaq, the sirens reached the outside of the house, and soon the door was kicked in. Officers began flowing in, yelling at everyone to put their hands in the air.

"Get off him," one of the officers ordered Jack, who quickly obliged, holding up his hands in a peaceful gesture.

"Officers, thank goodness!" Jaq said as he got up, brushing his clothes off. "I caught these three breaking into my house trying to rob me! When I came in, they pulled a gun on me. I had to use defensive measures," he explained, pointing to the knife on the floor. The officers didn't say anything, but they grabbed Jaq and pulled his hands behind his back.

"Wait," he said. "What are you doing? I'm the victim here!"

"Until we can get this whole mess sorted out, you're all coming with us," one of the officers stated, grabbing Mac's arms and cuffing them behind his back as well. Jack and Penny were receiving similar treatment, though Mac and Jack were handled slightly differently due to their knife wounds.

"Hey Mac," Jack called out as they were all led out to the police cruisers. "At least this time you don't know any of the officers!"

 _ **So...? What did you guys think? Like I said, there's only one chapter after this :( Sorry it was a short one :(**_

 _ **Lemme know what you guys think!**_


	6. Chapter 6

_**Last chapter!**_

 _ **Let me know what you think :)**_

 ** _Characters are not mine_**

"You know," Matty said as she led Jack and MacGyver out of the police station. "Sometimes I think you two are a lot more trouble than you're worth, and if you weren't such good agents, and if we didn't have a mission in twenty-four hours, I might have just left you in there for a little longer," she admonished.

"It's not our fault," Jack complained. "Besides, they would have let us out," he insisted. "Jaq messed up in his story and they caught him in his lie! They were just about to release us when you got here."

Matty raised her eyebrows in mock interest, but she didn't say anything else. Mac caught sight of Penny ahead of them, talking to an officer.

"I'll be right back," he said, walking as quickly as he could over to Penny without hurting his aching body even further. "Hey Penny," he called out as he neared her. She turned and made eye contact with him, then turned and said goodbye to the officer. She walked over and met the blond halfway across the lot and threw her arms around him.

"Thank you," she said quietly.

"Ow," Mac muttered, causing Penny to let go of him quickly.

"Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry," she gushed. "I forgot, are you okay? Do you need to go see a doctor? I think you need to go to a hospital and get checked out," she said. She would have continued on, but Mac pulled her into another, more gentle hug.

"I'm fine," he insisted.

"No you're not," Penny said, drawing back and giving him a dirty look. "You were beaten, strangled, and cut with a knife all within the past ten hours," she reminded him. "That's not someone who is 'fine,' Mac," she said.

"Okay, okay," Mac said with a laugh. "I promise, when I get back to LA, I'll get checked out by a doctor," he said.

"You promised," Penny said, pointing at her friend. "You never go back on your promises, so I'll be keeping in touch with Jack until you do go see a doctor," she warned him.

"I promise," Mac repeated.

"Promise what?" Jack asked as he came up behind them.

"Mac promised me he'd go see a doctor when you guys get back to LA," Penny said before Mac could reply.

"How'd you get him to promise to that?" Jack asked in surprise. "If I ever think he needs to go see a doctor, he stalls and complains and won't go," he explained.

"Maybe it's cuz I'm his ex-girlfriend," Penny suggested with a wink.

"Yeah Jack," Mac replied sassily to his partner. "Maybe you just need to get more in touch with your feminine side."

"Oh, I don't think it's my feminine side that'll be knocking your butt to the ground and dragging you into the doctor's office," Jack growled. Mac chuckled, then he turned back to Penny.

"I came over here to say thank you," he said.

"Why? You're the one who came to save me," Penny reminded him.

"The rescue attempt would have been a lot more unsuccessful if you hadn't gotten the knife out of Jaq's hand," Mac pointed out.

"How'd you do that, anyway?" Jack asked.

"Yeah, that was a seriously well-planned and executed kick," Mac agreed.

"Don't you remember?" Penny asked MacGyver. "In the play Jaq was directing, my character was a spy, and that's one of the moves she does! Except, it's supposed to be kicking a gun out of the man's hands while she's tied up. I can't believe I actually got to do it in real life!" she said with a squeal. "I bet I could be a pretty good spy," she added with a thoughtful look.

MacGyver and Jack shared a look, both silently agreeing not to say anything.

"Dalton, Mac," Matty called out as she walked towards the SUV. "Let's go."

"See ya later, Parker," Jack said, giving Penny a quick, one-armed hug. "Be good," he added jokingly before he walked towards Matty. Mac and Penny heard him ask Matty about driving, but Mac didn't pay attention as he turned back to his friend.

"I'm glad you're okay," he said.

"I wouldn't be if it weren't for you," she replied, wrapping her arms around him gently again. "Thanks for believing that something was wrong, and coming to help," she muttered.

"I'll always come if you need me, Penny," Mac assured her. Penny nodded; she knew Mac meant every word of that, and she loved him for it. Penny pulled away after a few seconds.

"Anyway, I should probably let you go," she said, glancing over at Jack and Matty, who were still arguing about the car.

"Probably," Mac said. "But don't hesitate to let me know if you need anything else," he said, staring at her to get his point across.

"I won't," Penny promised.

"Okay, come here," Mac said, wrapping his friend in his arms for one last quick hug before he left, walking over to Matty and Jack.

"Everything good?" Jack asked.

"Yeah," Mac said as he looked back at Penny, who was walking over to her car. "I think things are gonna be just fine."

 _ **Okay, I know that was one of the worst endings I think I've ever done, but I think I'm losing touch with my MacGyver writing. I seriously need the show back on.**_

 _ **So, for those of you who requested it (and those who didn't, but still took the time to read it ;) ) what did you think?**_

 _ **Lemme know, and I'll see you all sometime soon. I've still got a few MacGyver stories in the works, but I'm also working on a Spider-Man story, and like I said, I feel like I'm losing touch with my MacGyver side, so I don't know when the next Mac story will be posted... :(**_


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